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Topic: The War Saga: Prelude (OOC Thread) (Read 32523 times)

This is a feeler/recruitment thread for an action/adventure group fantasy role play.

In April, the year of our Brothers 1253, the Great War, led by Richard Lancaster the First, was launched in crusade to unify the realm of man, from border to border to border.

War Machines, still a technology in their infancy, were built in many and varied designs to beat back Lancaster's campaign. Powered by Spirit energy, they proved too strong for paltry soldiers to fight against with any hope of light casualties.

The following year, nearing the end of Winter, after suffering heavy casualties, he struck back against his amassed enemies with a devastating force: The Thirteen, a force of wizards trained in combat magic, fighting in unison in a way never before seen on such a scale. Nothing could stand in their wake, even the greatest of the War Machines, and enemy forces were decimated, as was their morale.

By 1255, death tolls on both sides ranged in the millions, and after the sacking and devastation of the last great fortress in the South, surrender was unanimously given to Lord Lancaster.

The Thirteen were disbanded, and under Lancaster's orders were given a reluctant pardon from sin by the Church of the Brothers for the blood they spilled.

The realm, united as it was, had its government split into an array of nation-states, all abiding under the laws of a great Lord Noble, the first of whom was Richard Lancaster himself. They were permitted to war and fight to seize power and wealth, but were limited so to prevent any great monarchy rising and dominating the realm.

Wizards were forbidden to fight alongside each other.

Though the surviving cities and peoples were greatly diminished in strength, much of the technology used to create the great War Machines was repurposed and reinvented to suit more civil uses, igniting an industrial revolution which remade the face of the realm. The once-poor peoples of the west found their mines of copper and iron to be tenfold as valuable, the rich farmland of the east less needed as the demand for food was diminished.

Fighting within the confines of the Lord Noble's laws, the Eastern states slowly devoured themselves, scraps of wealth being fought over like dogs with a bone as lesser lords tried to preserve their nation-states and keep their people from starving. The Western states, prospering in their own lands, see the downfall of the east and their own success as just and fair, and any hardship suffered is only a rebalancing of the scales that was long overdue.

Others in the east believe it's time to fix the scales again.

Plot-wise, your characters will be forming a mini-strike team (Ideally two sorcerers and two non-sorcerers, as well as a GMPC sorcerer, though this can be flexible) heading West and using their abilities and the element of surprise to essentially nuke the defenses of the larger fortresses and cities, paving the way for an easy and relatively violence-free revolution. Non-magical characters will NOT be underpowered, thanks in part mainly due to steampunk-esque technology supplementing their strength, but I'll get more into that later.

Let me know if this interests you!

Geography and Ecology:[spoiler]The year is 1463.

The 'Realm of Man' is an oblong stretch of land approximately 1800 miles by 900. The entire Southern border is covered by a massive ocean, and other then a handful of islands surrounding a large peninsula approximately halfway along the coast, there is no habitable land past that point. (No discovered habitable land, at least. Expedition vessels are few on account of the sea monsters.)

Meeting at the coast and wrapping around the Eastern and Northeastern ends is a vast desert, also inhospitable to human life. Temperatures can reach upwards of one hundred eighty degrees once you travel a few hundred miles out of the human lands, and once you get that deep in you have to deal with the Striders.

To the Northwest and Western borders, mountain ranges turn into a great rocky land, stretching for hundreds of miles. There be the Dragons. Humans have encroached slightly on this territory, but once you start to enter the mountain ranges the temperatures drop heavily and the Dragons become provoked. A great amount of resources are used to keep the Dragons at bay, allowing mining efforts to continue.

Within the realms of man, however, geography is incredibly favorable towards human life. Temperatures rarely drop below ten degrees Fahrenheit or above ninety or a hundred, even in the hottest and coldest reaches, and the ground is quite hospitable to farming. Mountain ranges within the realm are generally small and nonthreatening to cross or pass through, streams and rivers criss-cross most of the land regularly to provide water to all reaches, and rarer metals and precious resources can be found plentifully beneath the earth. [/spoiler]

Society and Culture:[spoiler]The Realm is divided up into a large number of Lordships, each overseen by a Lord. (The title is hereditary.) Each Lordship's population cannot raise above thirty thousand men, though slaves (who are barred from fighting) do not count.

When fighting in a war, each side is bound by law to cause the least amount of damage to property and goods as possible. During battle, any man who throws down his weapons and surrenders must be spared the sword and returned to his Lordship unharmed once an appropriate ransom is paid. (If no ransom is paid, he is instead taken as a slave back to the winning army's Lordship.)

Before assaulting any city, an ambassador must be sent to discuss terms of surrender. The town may refuse discussion without hearing terms and the ambassador may offer unreasonable or impossible terms, but a discussion must be had before battle nonetheless.

Slaves must be treated with dignity and given proper sustenance and living quarters, but otherwise are property. However, children of slaves become free upon their thirteenth birthday, unless they choose to remain in their master's service.

Due to the atrocities committed by the 13 during the Great War, the term 'Wizard' is used as a disparaging one. In general, calling someone a 'Wizard' implies that they are cruel, violent, or malevolent. Magic users have since adopted the term 'Sorcerer' as their preferred title.

Due to the treaty system and laws, war is commonplace, though not particularly devastating in any given battle. Entire wars can be fought without either side taking casualties, though this is incredibly rare. More damaging is the loss of resources as the losing side must pay a toll to the victor as spoils of war.

Due to the fact that most technology is powered by blood, poor communities which cannot afford a city grid often end up susceptible to blood-borne illnesses.

Most of The Thirteen have passed away since the war, either of age or due to attempts on their life. Those still alive have gone into hiding for the most part and tend to keep their identities a secret, since revealing who they are often causes a lot of conflict and puts them in jeopardy. The thirteen are named Joab (Alive), Nathaniel Griggs (Unknown), Peter Wellers (Unknown), Holly Short (Deceased), Margeret Carpenter (Unknown), Zapp Rosdower (Deceased), Rigg Sesamekesh (Deceased), Yuffie Kisaragi (Alive), David Undertow (Unknown), Orion Fowl (Alive), Christopher Columine (Deceased), Valkyrie Cain (Deceased), and Jayne Cobb (Unknown).

After the war, it was outlawed for Sorcerers to work together, because the spells wrought by multiple Sorcerers in tandem were so immensely powerful and devastating, and the collateral damage to non-combatants was higher by an order of magnitude than had ever been seen. In modern times, two sorcerers working together is unheard of and as such, the maximum power of most given spells is much smaller than it had been before the war.

Due to the prevalence of combat and violence, especially in the East, it's more uncommon to find people who can't fight than people who can, at least to some extent. Soldiers for life tend to be more experienced than the average man or woman, of course, but it's a hard task to find people who can't so much as use a sword or string a bow.

While farmland is generally preserved in war, thanks in no small part to the laws, the produce of such farms is often looted or taken as spoils of war. Poorer communities and Lordships therefore go through regular bouts of famine when their more powerful neighbors are low on food.

Engineers, Mechanics, Sorcerers, and those who are related in any way to Spirit technology are highly valued artisans. Those who can often get documentation allowing them to travel to the west where their skills can be put to more profitable use, but oftentimes Lords will not allow them to emigrate without some level of payment in return. (The loss of such a valuable asset is, after all, no small matter.)

'Auditors' are specially sanctioned employees of the Lord Noble, whose job it is to check in after wars and make certain that no laws were broken. They are generally quite powerful individuals in one level or another, either physically or mentally, and they command a great level of power. While they have no subjects, they are also not bound by any laws, and their report on a given issue is final. If they discover treachery or lawbreaking, their justice is swift and they call in the Lord Noble's men to clear out the issue, as well as any volunteering forces from nearby countries. (Volunteered troops are highly rewarded for taking down criminal Lords and Lordships.)

Auditors are also dispatched to deal with highly criminal individuals, such as serial killers who breach the borders of a given territory, as well as political terrorists and non-government organizations who attempt to rebel or claim their own freedom. Auditors function as the eyes and ears of the Lord Noble's power, seeking out any dissension or criminal activity and putting a quick stop to it.

Similar to Auditors, there are mercenary groups appointed by the Lord Noble, officially titled as 'Enforcers of the Noble Law' but commonly known as Hunters. Hunters are also not bound to most laws, allowed to cross borders and commandeer anything they think they need while on duty, though they need permission before committing any capital offences such as murder. If Auditors are the eyes and ears, and if an army is the Right hand, then Hunters are the Left hand of the Lord Noble, dealing with issues too far away for him to reach with his great armies and too deadly for a single Auditor to handle. They are often employed by Auditors, in fact, to help bring to justice criminal individuals.[/spoiler]

Religion:[spoiler]There are effectively three religions in the Realm of Man:The Order of the Brothers:[spoiler]The most prevalent religion by far, with over eighty percent of the churchgoing population (About 60% of the population in general,) as members, the Order of the Brothers believe that the world and all of the realms were created by a pair of immortal beings, two brothers, who shaped the world from a black orb, fighting off the demons and foul beings who tried to take what they had created. The older brother, Thom, represents strength and honor and is symbolized by the sun, while the younger brother, Dymus, represents wisdom and peace, and is symbolized by the moon.[/spoiler]

[/spoiler]

Magic and Technology:[spoiler]Technology, machinery, and magic in the realm is powered by an energy source known commonly as 'Spirit'. Spirit energy is a highly charged force created as a byproduct of sentient life, and while it can be extracted via several different methods, once it is available for use it functions identically in all applications. Spirit can be stored and conducted through certain materials, but others are naturally resistant to Spirit energy and can be used to insulate its effects. (Note: It functions similarly to electricity, with some exceptions and differences that I'll get to later.)

Spirit can be extracted through any of four sources from a living, sentient being: Their energy can be directly converted into a small amount of Spirit (Though this leaves the being tired and in need of rest), fresh blood contains medium amounts of Spirit, memory can be converted into a large amount of energy (Though the memory is lost in the process,) and a living being can be killed, created an extremely potent amount of Spirit. Due to the intangible nature of energy and memory, modern technology is only capable of efficiently extracting energy through blood or death.

Magic specifically functions when an individual capable of performing it (Commonly known as a 'Sorcerer') taps into a reservoir of raw Spirit energy. (Note: This cannot be 'Extracted' energy, the type stored for machinery, it must be in one of the four raw forms.) In order to cast a spell, he or she must take this energy and transfer it into a physical vessel. The vessel can be made in any shape and of any materials, but Spirit-resistant materials will vastly diminish the efficiency of the spell being cast. Physical size does matter, though, as smaller vessels can't contain as much energy as larger vessels. Once the energy is transferred into the vessel, it will begin leaking Spirit immediately, and therefore speed is of the essence. (The loss-rate of Spirit can be greatly diminished by using Spirit-efficient materials.) With the energy transferred into the vessel, the Sorcerer then creates an image in his mind of the effect his wishes to have, be it a fireball, an invisible wall, or a projection of some kind.

If any runes* are carved into the vessel, (Or if the vessel is in the shape of a rune itself,) this will drastically increase the efficiency of the spell. Without runes, it is extremely difficult to cast a spell with any precision, but as the runes are carved in more specific ways, the vessel can be used far more effectively at casting certain types of spells. However, once runes are carved into the vessel, it can only be used to cast spells which are related to that rune in some way. (E.G. A 'Heat' rune would be extremely versatile, but not particularly efficient or precise, while the runes for 'Fireball' would be extremely precise but not particularly versatile.) (Many different runes can be put onto a single vessel, increasing its versatility, but a single repeated rune will work more efficiently than many disconnected runes.)

*(Runes are a hieroglyphic lettering system.)

Once an image of the intended effect is created in the Sorcerer's mind, he then releases the stored energy in the vessel, mentally filtering it through the image. The desired effect will take place, diminished or unfocused if power or clarity requirements are not met. (Casting a spell to project an enormous fireworks display with an uncarved piece of chalk will cause little effect.)

Talented Sorcerers can live for as many as three hundred years, using their magic to undo the effects of aging. As they grow older, though, aging speeds and eventually it becomes difficult to keep up. Past the age 300 or so, only very skilled healers can keep it up, and even then only through constant work and in secluded environments free from distraction or disease.

Common magical techniques:A straight line is a basic 'Aggressive' rune, and therefore most magical weapons are built in a straight line. (For example, wands and staffs.)Similarly, a circle is a basic 'Defensive' rune, and many defensive magical implements are built in the shape of shields or bracelets.

Technology in the Realm of Man is powered by Spirit. Due to the short-lived nature of Spirit, even the highest quality batteries can only hold a charge for a brief time, draining with a half-life of a week, at most. Therefore, power must be constantly supplied. City grids often use prisoners from local penitentiaries as sources of power, taking regular blood draws to power the city. The death penalty for relatively minor crimes has also increased in popularity, as a single execution can power smaller cities for days at a time. Brownouts are frequent as power supply cannot match demand, however, and therefore many homes (and all homes in cities where a power grid is impractical or too expensive) have inbuilt generators.

Machinery runs by channeling the Spirit through cables (Copper, typically, though Silver or Gold work better,) to pistons and metal plates where needed. Runes carved into the metal and parts direct the Spirit energy to function as desired, giving commands. In practical terms, this makes Spirit an extremely versatile power source, as it is not only capable of exciting motion or reaction, but is also capable of controlling the machines more precisely and, in a sense, programming 'smart' machines which can handle relatively complicated tasks.

Depending on how "Steampunk" technology works in this setting I'd be interested. I'm already getting an idea for a character with "Lightning Fists."

On a question about the Steampunk, is it Steampunk powered by magic, or Steampunk power by steam and pre-electricity technology? A strange thing to ask, but from a character building point of view a key one to me.

On a question about the Steampunk, is it Steampunk powered by magic, or Steampunk power by steam and pre-electricity technology?

Yes.

I'll add a more thorough explanation later today, but everything is powered by 'Spirit Energy' which is essentially magic energy powered by life force. (Magic is also fueled by this same energy, just more directly.)

Mechanics:[spoiler](For now I'm just going to list character creation rules, but I'll add more detailed combat mechanics as time goes on. To anyone who finds this familiar, it's base is a very-stripped down reading of the Dark Heresy rules.)

Every character starts with four Base Stats, each of which will range anywhere between 1 and 100 (But usually closer to around 30.) These stats are the base for everything the character does, ranging from combat to conversation. (Simple tasks which would be routine or nearly auto-pass do not require tests, both for simplicity and to avoid redundant rolling. These stats are as follows:

Physique - This is both the character's physical strength, as well as their durability and resistance to harm. High levels of Physique will greatly boost the damage caused in melee, as well as the character's ability to resist damage dealt by physical blows.

Agility - This is the character's ability to be quick on their feet, flexible, and evasive. Additionally, it affects the character's ability to hit with attacks in combat. High levels of Agility will help guarantee that the character is able to get out of harms way in a hurry and make sure their attacks ring true.

Intelligence - This covers the character's ability to problem solve, as well as their ability to notice details that would otherwise be passed by. Characters with high intelligence are exceptional craftsmen and are difficult to trick.

Mind - This represents both the character's charisma and their mental fortitude. High Mind is very important for magically inclined characters, and will also help when dealing with people.

Additionally, every character has three fixed stats which are used to track their health. These stats all begin at 100, and the cap cannot be raised except in highly unusual circumstances. Namely, these stats are:

HP - A simple counter used to keep track of damage. Reduced health causes a penalty to all stats, though specific injuries (Such as broken limbs,) can cause other specific effects.

Energy - A counter used to track the character's exhaustion. Reduced energy causes a penalty to all stats, though in high-intensity situations these penalties can be ignored due to the adrenaline rush.

Sanity - A counter used to track the character's state of mind. This will rarely go down, but if it does, Spirit and Intelligence will both take a small penalty, as well as potential other effects.

Lastly, each character has a single Career, a handful of Talents, a long list of Skills, and a potential few amount of 'Abilities'.

Career - This is a broad topic which will cover a long list of abilities which the Character may not have mastered, but will be somewhat experienced with. All actions related to this Career get a +10 boost.

Talents - These are more specific abilities which the character has mastered overtime, and can perform with extreme skill. Talents grant extremely potent bonuses to actions that they're related to. This bonus can stack with a Career, but not with Skills. Talents give a +30 boost to actions which could already be performed, (Such as Cooking or Bartering) or a +15 to actions which require specific knowledge or training just to do. (IE, Quantum Mechanics or Engineering).

Skills - These are also specific abilities, but ones which the character does not have a mastery over. Actions related to any given skill will receive a moderate boost. This boost can stack with a Career, but not with Talents. Skills give a +10 boost to actions which could already be performed, and allow actions to be taken which require specific knowledge or training just to do.

Abilities - These will not provide explicit roll benefits, but can instead give other useful attributes. (For example, the ability to hold breath for a long time.)

To generate a character, pick a name, and add 140 skill points in any combination to the four main stats. (No stat can go lower than 20 or higher than 45.) Pick one single 'Career' (Which can be anything within reason, for example 'Engineer', 'Soldier', or 'Healer',) any four 'Talents' (For example, 'Swordfighting,' 'Fire Magic', 'Grifting',) and any ten 'Skills'. (I'm not listing examples for skills. Figure it out, numnuts.) Abilities may be rewarded by the GM if he deems it appropriate considering the character's backstory.

All tests are rolled on a D100. If the result is lower then the pertinent stat, (Plus or minus any relevant modifiers,) then the test succeeds exactly as intended. If the result is higher, then the test fails and nothing happens (Unless a failure would indicate something happening, such as failing to jump a large gap.) Since most stats are going to range in the 30s, and you roll on a D100, most tests are going to fail if attempting to do something outside of your usual wheelhouse of Skills and Talents, especially if trying to do something especially difficult.

Magic tests require several steps: First, add any amount of Spirit power to the given spell. (Spells generally do more if given more energy... Obviously... For example, a fireball with 30 points of Spirit will cause three times the damage of a fireball with 10 points of Spirit.) A temporary counter can be used for the duration of the spell, which simply marks down how much Spirit is being used. The amount of Spirit being used will generally be limited by the capacity of the wand, staff, or other magical implement being used. (Wands can usually hold about 10 points of Spirit, tops, but a staff can hold upwards of thirty or even forty.) This can be taken directly from your Energy supply, reducing the counter by one for every point added to the spell. Alternately, the Sorcerer can use available blood (If it was just spilled,) to fuel the spells, adding five points of Spirit for every approximate ounce of available blood. (The GM will list quantities if it's needed.) Memory can also be used to create a vast supply of energy, but this can cause issues. Unless under a special circumstance, thirteen points of Spirit can simply be added by losing a single point of Sanity. Ritual Sacrifice is too messy to use in most circumstances, and thus must be set up with the GM beforehand (Also, it'll probably accrue a lot of Insanity for the character, too.)

Once the Spirit pool is generated, take a test based off of the Mind stat. (With modifiers for trades, talents, skills, and the difficulty of the spell taken into account.) If successful, the spell goes off without a hitch. If unsuccessful, the spell will go off, but usually with diminished or weakened effects. (Particularly poor rolls may result in erratic or negative consequences.)

Certain types of armor, for example full suits of Spirit Armor (NOTE: Steampunk Power Armor is referred to as Spirit Armor for now), may override the wearer's Physique stat with its own, because the wearer becomes a sort of pilot who's own physical capacity becomes irrelevant.

Equipment:

There are three basic types of Equipment: Weapons, Armor, and Gear. There is also one Subtype, 'Runed'.

Weapons: Exactly what they say on the tin. Any piece of gear that is built or designed to hurt people or break things.

Armor: Also exactly what it says on the tin. Any clothing or apparel which provides defensive benefits.

Gear: Anything which doesn't fit into the first two categories. Tools, backpacks, medical gear, etc. (These have no specific rules, but rather individual rules based off of the gear as needed.)

Rules for Weapons:Every weapon will have a stat sheet which looks something like this:Range: Damage:Penetration:Hands:Special:

Range is a listed quality which tells you how far off the weapon can be used effectively. For the case of muskets, crossbows, and the like this will be represented by a hard distance. (For example, thirty feet.) While ranged weapons may technically be able to fire further than this, for simplicity's sake their effective range will not be able to reach further than this unless under special circumstances. For Melee weapons, the quality will simply be listed as 'Melee'.

Damage is the way of keeping track how effective the weapon is at hurting things. Ranged weapons will have a base damage listed, usually a number between three and ten, though it may be much higher. Melee weapons will also have a base damage listed, but will also usually add a portion of the user's Physique to damage. (Typically 1/10th (Rounding down), though weapons which rely less on strength such as a whip will add a smaller portion, and weapons which rely very heavily on strength such as a War Hammer will add a larger portion.) Some weapons may also list '+1d10' or some other similar randomization. If this is the case, roll an additional 1d10 and add that to the base damage every time you attack. All attacks cause the listed base damage plus 1d10. (So, weapons with +1d10 would roll 2d10 instead.) Damage is then reduced by 1/10th (Rounding down) the victim's Physique, and the remainder is taken as HP damage.

Penetration is an attribute used purely to counteract armor. Each point of penetration ignores one point of armor, but causes no extra damage if the penetration is higher than the armor value.

Hands is a catch-all term for the requirements to use this weapon. Here will be listed both the number of limbs needed to use the weapon (Usually '1-Handed or 2-Handed) as well as the minimum Physique needed to lift and wield such a weapon. If armed with two weapons, the Physique requirement does not stack, but you still need enough free hands to use them both.

Special is a rarely needed stat, and as such will only be added to weapons which have some kind of unique effect. If a weapon DOES have some kind of unique effect, it will be listed here.

Every character is constantly armed with two 'Fists', unless they have been delimbed:Fists:Range: MeleeDamage: 0 + 1/10th PhysiquePenetration: 0Hands: 1-Handed, 0 Physique

Armor:All armor typically only has three main stats, 'Protection', 'Coverage', and 'Weight', as well as its own 'Special'.

Protection is the listed amount of resistance to damage. For every point of protection not ignored by a weapon's Penetration, the damage of an attack is reduced by 1.

Coverage is simply the parts of the body that the armor covers. A helm isn't going to protect your shins, buddy.

Weight is, as with hands, simply the requirements to wear a suit of armor, usually simply a minimum Physique. Unlike with weapons, the Weight of different armors stack, so if you're wearing a breastplate with a Weight of 20 and a helm with a Weight of 10, you'll need a minimum Physique of 30 to wear both.

Special, as with weapons, is where unique effects are listed. This includes any resistance to magical attacks, as well as the strength bonuses given by Spirit armor. (If wearing a full suit of Spirit armor, a replacement Physique might simply be listed here, in which case the user's Physique is ignored.)

The subtype 'Runed' can be applied to any weapon, armor, or piece of gear, and turns that gear into a magical implement. (Though if the gear is made out of Spirit-resistant materials, it won't be a very good magical implement.) If the object is Runed, it gains a 'Energy' stat which tells you how much Spirit it can hold when a magical spell is being cast. Additionally, the specific runes engraved on it will be listed. ('Heat', for example, or 'Sudden Agonizing Death'.) All spells cast with a Runed weapon take a -30 to the user's Mind when rolled, but if the runes engraved are connected to the spell being cast, the penalty will be diminished or replaced with a positive. (Trying to boil water with a 'Heat' runed staff will be at a +/-0, but trying to levitate a pebble with a 'Pebble Levitation' wand will be at a +40 or +50.)

Gear which uses Spirit energy will have a 'Power Consumption' listed under their Special. In the case of gear which uses power constantly, (Spirit armor, for example,) this power consumption will be listed on a turn-to-turn basis (During combat) and an hourly-minute basis (For outside of combat.) For gear which uses power in short bursts (E.G. A hammer which causes shocking damage,) the power use will be listed on a by-use basis.

Since these devices clearly need to be drawing their power from something, they must be attached to either a generator or battery. (Magical characters may instead power the devices directly using their own Energy directly.) Generators will have a listed fuel consumption and must be given a supply of fresh (~1 Hour old or less) blood to function, and can supply a constant amount of energy as long as its fuel supply is maintained. (The maximum amount of energy consumption will be listed as long as the blood consumption.) Batteries instead will be listed with an 'Energy', which functions identically to a character's Energy, except that it only regenerates when attached to a generator or charged by a sorcerer.

Batteries and generators can both be attached directly to weapons, in which case their own weight is added to the weight of the weapon, or can be attached to a belt pack, backpack, or other equipment, in which case it stacks with the weight of any armor being worn. If not attached directly to weapons, they must be hooked up by power cables o the weapons in order to be used.

All rolls of 91 or higher automatically fail regardless of circumstance.Action taken out of combat get +10 to the roll.

Combat:Combat works in a semi-turned based system. All characters PM the GM with three things that they intend to do, but with no knowledge of what the other players intend to do. (Including NPCs. For the sake of fairness, the GM will mark down secretly what the NPCs intend to do before he reads what the PCs intend to do.) Once all players have decided what they will do, a D50 is rolled for each player and added to their Agility. The character with the highest result goes first, doing only the first thing that they intend to do. The second-highest goes second, doing the first thing that they intend to do. So on and so forth. If an action becomes impossible due to the action of another character, that result is discarded. Once all first-actions are done, repeat the process with the second and third things which characters intend to do. If something would take two or three actions to do, (Such as casting a very complicated spell or picking a lock), then the action isn't considered 'Done' until the second or third cycle.

Some reactions, such as parrying or dodging attacks, will be done automatically, once per turn. (Unless an ability allows for multiple parries or dodges.) If such an act would be impossible (For example, if you're attacked while holding up a giant boulder and unable to fight back,) the reaction will not be used up. Actions like shouting a warning can be done without taking up any time (And therefore a second action can be done alongside it), but do not count as completed until the end of that player's action. Players may try and guess the actions of other characters, (For example 'I chase him down' when you think someone is going to run), but if the other characters do not act as expected then nothing happens. Before combat begins, Intelligence checks can sometimes be taken to get clues as to the actions of NPCs.

Actions can have the addendum 'If threatened' added to them, with a second Action listed to occur only when threatened by the enemy. If nothing happens, the first action will be taken, but if the enemy attacks then the character will take an Agility test at +20 to react. If they pass, they will instead take the second action listed. If an ally shouts a warning or is the one to attack first, the Agility test is taken at +40 instead.

Actions which would give a boost to defense or have a chance to block attacks count as happening simultaneous to the first attack taken that turn. This includes drawing a sword to parry, raising a magical shield, or powering on defensive runes, but does not include actions like running away or trying to disarm your opponent.

Examples of things which can be done as a single action include: Attacking another Character. Moving cautiously up to 1/5th your Agility in Feet. Running up to 1/3rd your Agility in Feet. (You are unable to parry or dodge while doing this.)Throwing an object.Casting a simple spell (Such as a fireball.)

Examples of things which would take two or more actions include:Picking a lockGathering up many fallen objectsDrawing a complicated rune

Critical Hits: When rolling for damage, (Only for the base 1d10, not with any additional dice that the weapon may allow,) any natural result of a '10' causes a Critical hit. This represents hitting weak points in the armor, pressure points, or other exposed or vulnerable areas. Armored targets have the value of their armor halved (Before reducing for the weapon's Penetration). Unarmored targets, or targets whose armor is so low that it would be completely ignored (before halving), instead have their Phys ignored when calculating damage. Alternately, attackers may attempt to strike at weak points. If they do so, their attack takes a -30 to hit, but they cause Critical damage on a roll of 6+ rather than only on a 10.

Called shots: For whatever reasons, characters may sometimes want to strike a specific body part rather than going for a general attack. Called shots are taken at -15, but are garunteed to strike that body part rather than the center of mass.

You can get a +20 to rolls by doubling the time to take the action. (One-turn actions take two turns, two-turn actions take four turns.) Or, you can get a +30 to rolls by tripling the time.

Since this is pretty complicated, here's an example:[spoiler]A Swordsman and an Archer (All with '30' stats across the board) are facing off against a Sorcerer armed with a fire-rune-engraved Wand. (Also with '30' stats across the board, except Agility which is 25.)

The Swordsman tells the GM that he wants to lunge at the Sorcerer and attack him, then try and knock the Wand out of the Sorcerer's hand, and finally try and stab him one more time.

The Archer tells the GM that he wants to knock an arrow, take one action to aim, and then fire at the Sorcerer.

The Sorcerer tells the GM that he wants to try and cast a fireball with 6 energy at the Swordsman, then run to the door, and finally slam and lock the door behind him.

The Swordsman, Archer, and Sorcerer roll an 11, 35, and 39 respectively, so the Archer will go first, followed by the Sorcerer and then the Swordsman.

The Archer knocks his bow. This does not require a test. The Sorcerer casts his spell. His energy is now at 94. He takes a Mind test at +30 (+20 for the wand engraved in Fire runes, +10 because he has a Skill for fireballs), rolling a 32. A pass! The fireball, which causes 6+d10 Damage, leaps at the swordsman, who tries to dodge automatically. The swordsman does not have a skill or talent in dodging, but because dodging requires no skill or talent, he can still roll using his base Agility. He rolls a 15! Success! His turn now, he lunges at the sorcerer, attacking. He gets a +40 to hit because he has a Talent in Swordfighting and his Career is as a city guard, which gives an additional +10. Rolling a 38, he hits, causing 4 Damage plus 1/10th his Physique (3) and 1d10, minus 1/10th the Sorcerer's Physique. However, now the Sorcerer can try to dodge. He does not have any Skill or Talent for dodging, and he rolls a 48, taking a hit from the sword. Rolling a 7 for Damage, the Sorcerer takes 11 Wounds - Ouch! He only has nine left.

Now, it's the Archer's turn again. Not yet firing, he takes careful aim, which will give him a +20 to hit when he fires. The sorcerer turns and flees, making it to the open door at the back of the room. The swordsman, now out of range, can only swing at the air as the Sorcerer gets out of the way.

Finally, it's the Archer's turn again. Because he goes before the Sorcerer, he has one last chance to try and take him down. He gets a +60 to hit, (+20 for aiming, +10 for his Career, and +30 for his talent as an Archer.) Rolling an 81, he still manages to pass. The Sorcerer already dodged, and even if he hadn't his last action was to run, meaning that he couldn't try and dodge anyways. The bow and arrow causes 4 damage plus 1d10. Rolling for damage, he gets a 10! Not only is this fourteen damage, but the Sorcerer's Physique won't reduce that number at all either. He dies.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Damage, Fatigue, and InsanityEnergy for characters regenerates at a rate of about 15/hour, when sleeping. When awake, it'll drain at a rate of 4/Hour, but physically strenuous acts will increase the reduction rate. For a few common examples:Travel on foot increases energy consumption to 6/Hour. Speed is equal to 1/10th your Agility in Miles per Hour.Light jogging increases the consumption rate to 1/Two Minutes. Speed is 1.5x that of walking.Running increases the consumption rate to 1/Minute. Additionally, you can only run for a number of minutes equal to your Physique. Speed is double to that of walking.Sprinting increases the consumption rate to 3/Minute. Additionally, you can only sprint for a number of minutes equal to 1/10th your Physique. Speed is triple that of walking. Lifting an extremely heavy object will cost a little Energy.Combat can also cost energy when doing strenuous acts.

If your Energy drops below certain points, tests will be taken at penalties:At less than 50, all tests taken by the player will be at -5, unless the test is to resist damage.At less than 30, all tests are instead at -10.At less than 20, all tests are at -20.At less than 10, all tests will be at -30, and a Physique test must be taken once every ten minutes to avoid passing out.At 0 or Less, the player will pass out immediately.

The exception is during an adrenaline rush. During high intensity situations such as combat or running for your life, energy output is increased by 50%, (Except for casting spells and other magical uses,) but Agility and Physique are increased by 10% when taking intentional actions. (This does not include taking damage, for example.) Additionally, the player cannot pass out or fall asleep due to energy loss unless their energy drops below -10, in which case they will pass out immediately anyways.

Energy can drop below 0, but if it goes beneath -20 then the character will go into a comatose state, recovering energy at half the normal rate until their energy reaches 100 again. If it goes beneath -40 for whatever reason (Trying to cast a spell, magical attacks of some kind, or a drug making it impossible to sleep,) they will immediately die.

Damage taken in combat can have similar penalties if health drops below certain levels. The penalties are as following:At less than 50, Physique and Agility will both be at -10. At less than 20, Physique and Agility will both be at -30.At less than 0, the player dies.

Additionally, there may be certain specific penalties for specific injuries, such as broken limbs or amputations.

Insanity works quite similarly. For every ten points lost, a semi-randomized effect will take place.

At 90 points, roll a d10. On a 1-5, reduce Intelligence by 2. On a 6+, reduce Willpower by 2.At 80 points, same as with 90.At 70 points, roll a d10. On a 1-4, reduce Intelligence by 2. On a 5-8, reduce Willpower by 2. On a 9-10, gain a small mental tick, disorder, or phobia.At 60 points, same as with 70.At 50 points, gain a mental tick, disorder, or phobia.At 40 points, roll a d10. On a 1, reduce Agility by 3. On a 2-4, reduce Willpower by 3. On a 5-7, reduce Intelligence by 3. On an 8+, gain a mental tick, disorder, or phobia.At 30 points, same as with 40.At 20 points, roll a D10. On a 1, reduce Agility by 4. On a 2-4, reduce Willpower by 4. On a 5-7, reduce Intelligence by 4. On an 8+, gain a sever mental tick, disorder, or phobia.At 10 points, same as with 20.At 0 points, the character becomes terminally insane and is no longer playable.[/spoiler][/spoiler]

Abilities: Sniper's Coop: Once set up and watching a location, Simo can reduce his energy use and stay in a nearly resting state. His energy consumption drops down to 2/Hour until he gets up.

Equipment:

Runic Rifle: Range: 600 Feet*Damage: 12Pen: 6Hands: 2-Handed, 20 PhysSpecial:Precision Tool - If the attacker rolls 30 lower than than the required number to hit, the attack deals an additional 1d5 damage and counts as a critical hit on a roll of 8, 9, or 10. If the attackers rolls 50 lower than the number required to hit, it instead deals an additional 1d10 damage and is a critical hit automatically.Vast Range - The range of this weapon often exceeds the firer's accuracy. It's range can increase up to 3000 Feet, however, for every 600 foot increase in range, the attack takes a -10 to hit. (Firing at maximum range reduces the 'To-hit' chance by 40.) Rune - Farsight. The scope on this weapon allows the user's effective vision range to be tripled. When magically charged, (Costing 1 Energy/Hour,) however, the effective vision range is increased up to twentyfold, and the attacker gets +10 to hit against enemies more than 1000 feet away. (Any closer and the scope's visual field is too small to see them.)Reload - The weapon must be reloaded in between each shot. Doing so requires an agility test - If passed, the weapon can be reloaded in a single turn, otherwise it takes two turns.Rune - Trueshot. The pistol on this weapon allows the user's accuracy to be greatly increased on long-range shots. On a successful Mind test, ignore all penalties for wind or other turbulence which would reduce accuracy, and give an additional +10 to hit on shots against targets more than 600 feet away.

'Phase' rounds - Simo carries a number of shots capable of passing through solid walls. These rounds are generically engraved, allowing Simo greater control over the phasing through the casting process rather than spending precious time calculating which round is best for each scenario. It is a riskier approach in a sense, but a more practical one and more suited to Simo's pragmatic nature. The power consumption is 3/Round, and the test is usually taken at +/-0.

Double-Barreled Pistol: Range: 30 FeetDamage: 7Pen: 2Hands: 1-Handed, 15 PhysSpecial: Reload - The weapon has two barrels, and each must be reloaded after every shot. Doing so requires an agility test - If passed, the weapon can be reloaded in a single turn, otherwise it takes two turns. (This is done separately for each barrel, functioning as two separate guns worked together.)

Bio: Simo was born in the countryside and became a hunter at a young age, trained by his father, Vassili. As he grew his aim improved significantly and he could soon hit deer and other wild beasts at 500 yards with unerring accuracy. At the age of 10 Simo began to discover his talents as a sorcerer and received training from the village "magic man" as he was known. As you might expect given his environment Simo's spells became heavily specialized in tracking and hunting. He could spot spoor that nobody else could, making it easier to find game, he could spot predators from further away than anyone else and could somehow guide his shots much more easily so that even the most difficult of shots could be made with a regularity that beggared belief.

At the age of 18 Simo joined his Lord's military and in a matter of weeks was re-assigned to be trained as a sniper. It is here that he learned how to account for gravity and wind over longer distances than before without being reliant on his magic. By the time he was 21 he could hit a moving target at 900 yards without using his supernatural ability. His increased visual range made him an excellent sentry, and the rifle he carries was given to him by his Lord's guard once he completed his training to commemorate the fact that he had graduated as the best sniper in their living memory.[/spoiler]

Weapons:Graviton Staff (Electrum)Range: MeleeDamage: 4 + 1/4th PhysPen: 0Hands: 2-Handed, 20 PhysSpecial: NoneRuned: The runes on this staff are specifically designed to boost his two most difficult spells, Graviton Storm and Big Bang Attack. It gives a +20 to both when used. Energy: 80

Gravity WandsRedirecting Gravity (Electrum)Range: MeleeDamage: 1 + 1/20th PhysPen: 0Hands: 1-Handed, 15 PhysSpecial: NoneRuned: The runes on this staff are specifically designed to boost his magical redirection of gravity. When used for this spell, it gives a +30. Energy: 13

Concussive Blast (Electrum)Range: MeleeDamage: 1 + 1/20th PhysPen: 0Hands: 1-Handed, 15 PhysSpecial: NoneRuned: The runes on this staff are specifically designed to boost his Concussive Blast spell. When used for this spell, it gives a +30. Energy: 13

Generic (Electrum)Range: MeleeDamage: 1 + 1/20th PhysPen: 0Hands: 1-Handed, 15 PhysSpecial: NoneRuned: The runes on this staff are specifically designed to boost his gravity spells in general. It gives no bonuses or penalties when used for such. Energy: 13

Armor:Runic ArmourProtection: 0Coverage: Torso, Arms, Legs Weight: 20 Phys.Special: Runed: The runes in this custom made suit allow for a degree of protection from incoming fire, but what they are mainly for is protecting Franklin against the effects of his own gravity magicks. These runs also focus his Sphere of Safety and focus his gravitational awareness of moving objects. Energy: 35 When given power, in addition to being used for the Sphere of Safety and Sense Disturbance powers (Giving a +10 to each when used), can give 1 Protection per Energy/minute. (With a cap of 25, simply because the suit can't take any more power than that.) This protection is doubled against his own spells.

Bio:

Franklin Hill is a wanderer, a sellstaff of sorts. He has, over many years, garnered a reputation of being frighteningly efficient and at times, just plain frightening. His mastery of Gravitational magic has made him a man in high demand, and he can usually name his price for his services. Sometimes however, he doesn't want money, and the thrill of the job is all he needs.

He has little desire to harm those that are not part of his contract, but understands that sometimes, the fastest way is far from the nicest and rarely hesitates to do what needs to be done. His power is immense, and as such and learned to keep his emotions in check lest he lash out in a moment of rage. Provoking him is hard, and you may wish you hadn't tried if you are successful.

Beyond this, Franklin is generally considered true to his word, no matter the consequences to himself or others. If he is tasked with something, he will see it through.

Notes on Spells:[spoiler]Graviton StormFranklin creates a gravitational sheath around a swarm of microsingularities and then unleashes it on a target, flesh, concretes, steel, nothing can stand up to this barrage for more than a few seconds. However the taxing on Franklins power is great, and he will need to rest not long after using it.(Consumes 50-80 power, depending on duration and intensity of the needed use. Extremely difficult, tests will be at a hefty negative. (In the -60 range, though this is not taking into account talents, skills, careers, or equipment.)

Big Bang AttackFranklin draws all surrounding matter to a point, compressing it further and further until a fusion reaction is initiated. Then the gravity field keeping it together is removed. Along with almost everything within a few hundred yards. Like Graviton Storm, this is very very draining and cannot be used very often.(Consumes 60-90 power, depending on duration and intensity of the needed use. Extremely difficult, tests will be at a hefty negative. (In the -70 range, though this is not taking into account talents, skills, careers, or equipment.)

Sense disturbanceFranklin can feel when something is warping gravity, big or small. Bigger thing are easier to detect though.(At basic levels, consumes very little power, only around 3/hour when used in the background and will function as simply an extra 'Sense', like hearing or smell, and requires no test to use. To focus, however, more energy and concentration may be needed and a test may need to be taken.)

Redirect GravityShort bursts of flight, deflecting incoming fire, or even cold blooded torture, gravity, when harnessed, can be used for all kinds of things.(Energy consumption is extremely variable here, depending on the effect being used.)

Concussive blastA simple show of power, a gravity wave washed over an area, or a single target and throws them around with great force.(Energy consumption is also pretty variable here, depending on the intensity and scope of the blast.)

Sphere of SafetyA graviton orb surrounds Franklin, impenetrable to all but the most powerful of attack, slamming the incoming projectile, weapon, or attacker to the ground. Thanks to Franklin's ability to track objects through their gravitational footprint, this orb only needs to be raised for the split second it takes to deflect the object.(Energy consumption is tied to the amount of force incoming, and difficulty depends heavily on the amount of time available to react. Note that attacks which would not be affected by gravity, such as ethereal magic or raw Spirit jolting through the air in a beam, will not be affected.)

BalanceWhen you can make gravity support you, you can walk on any ledge or rope no matter how narrow or precarious. Doing this for so long has given Franklin an extremely good sense of balance and spatial awareness even without the use of his powers.(When not being cast, a +10 to general balance rolls such as standing on a high ledge. When cast, energy consumption is approximately 1/Minute, and the test is at a -10, though this is not taking into account talents, skills, careers, or equipment.)

Magical TrapWith a bit of time and effort, Franklin can rig an implosion trap, invisible to anyone who doesn't know how to spot it. Once they set foot in it, unbalancing the complex gravitational forces, the trap springs, compressing the unfortunate victim to a puddle of compressed good.(Energy consumption is in the 40-50 range, and difficulty depends heavily on the amount of time available to cast the spell. Damage is decreased overtime until the spell wears off entirely, but the lifespan of the trap depends heavily on the success of the test and materials being used. Targets in heavier armor (which is not resistant to magic, of course) take more damage from this trap.)

Gravitational LensingBending gravity in the right place, in the right way, can allow Franklin to see around corners, of course, anyone looking in the right direction can also see right back.(Energy consumption in the 4-5 range.)[/spoiler][/spoiler]

Weapons:"Thunder" WarhammerRange: MeleeDamage: 9 + 1/5th Phys - 9 + 1/20th PhysPenetration: 2 - 2Hands: Two-handed, 35 Phys - One-handed, 60 PhysSpecial: Hand-and-a-half: This weapon can be wielded Two-handed or One-handed. Use the former numbers when the weapon is Two-handed and the latter numbers when the weapon is One-handed. Smite: Power Consumption - 6. When attacking, user may trigger a Spirit shock. If the attack hits, add 1d10+4 Damage which is not reduced by armor. Additionally, the target must pass a Physique test or have their agility halved for one turn and their energy reduced by 1d10.

Buckler:Range: Melee Damage: 1/10th PhysPenetration: 0Hands: N/ASpecial: The Buckler takes up no hands, though only one can be equipped on an arm at a time. Instead of having an independent weight value, it adds +8 to the Phys. Requirement of any weapon equipped on that arm. Attempts to block attacks with a buckler get a +10. Runed (Magic Defensive): Magic attacks which hit the buckler have some of their energy absorbed and dissipated. Reduce the effect of the attack as though three less Energy had been used on it. For non-magical Spirit based attacks, instead block five points of damage.

Armor:Arm Power Frame:Protection: 3Coverage: Right-armWeight: 20 Phys.Special: Power Consumption - 1 Spirit/Min Enhanced Physique - When this is equipped and unpowered, it simply adds to the Phys. limit of the wearer's armor. However, when powered, it also increases the Phys. of the arm it's equipped on by +35 for the purposes of damage calculation and lift weight.

Leather Jacket/Comfortable Clothes

Gear:Generator Pack:Weight: 15 Phys.Special: Battery Pack - This generator can store up to 20 Spirit with a built-in battery. Spirit Generation - When supplied with blood, the generator can provide up to 5 Spirit/Min. (It therefore takes four minutes and 4 oz. of blood to charge fully.)

Artificer's Tools

Bio:Korus was just starting to make a name for himself. His Clockwork and Spirit powered devices gave him a small measure of wealth. His business seemed a small jewel of hope amongst the Eastern states, and he often had customers come a great distance for his devices. But his supplies from the Western states became increasingly expensive, and so his business suffered.

Before he lost everything, he closed his workshop for good to the public. Every unfinished personal project was dismantled and every resource at his disposal taken stock, including his own personal possessions from his house. He designed and built a continuous energy generator that he could wear on his back, and connected it to a specially designed hammer that would unleash a terrifying electric shock when swung with force. It was a hefty tool of force, and so he cobled together an exo-skeleton of sorts. It bolstered his strength, allowing him to carry the hammer in one hand.

Korus was no fool. He knew that the weapon would be slow even with his augmented strength, and more likely to get him killed by itself, so he used a majority of his remaining funds to commission a local smith to build and engrave with runes a buckler to help him defend himself. This buckler was positioned on his left arm, and left his hand free to move, to better grip the hammer with both hands when needed.

He packed his bags, and left for the west. Hoping that he will find someone to "persuade" into bringing some stability and coin into the Eastern States.

Shock WandRange: 3'Damage: 2Penetration: 0Hands: 1-Handed, 15 PhysSpecial: Shock: Power Consumption - 4. Attacks with this weapon ignore all metal armor. Additionally, enemies who are injured by this weapon must pass a Physique test or have their Agility halved for one turn and have their energy reduced by 1d10. Due to the way the weapon fires, attacks using it get +20 to hit. Battery - 16/20 Power

Range: Melee - 12'Damage: 6+1/10th Phys. - 5Penetration: 3 - 0Hands: 2-Handed, 30 PhysSpecial: Power Consumption - 6. This weapon may be used in melee as a Spear, or as a ranged weapon. Ranged attacks with this weapon ignore all metal armor. Additionally, enemies who are injured by this weapon must pass a Physique test at -10 or have their Agility halved for three turns and have their energy reduced by 2d10. Due to the way the weapon fires, attacks using it get +20 to hit. If an attack lands in Melee, the ranged profile may be used immediately, hitting automatically.

Armor:Bronze Spirit Armor (Custom): (Defensive Runes) (Strength Runes)Protection: 15Coverage: Full-body (Removable helmet)Weight: 50 Phys.Special: Power Consumption - 14 Spirit/Hr Battery Pack - 58/100 Spirit Engines - When this armor is powered, the wearer's Phys is boosted to 60 for all uses except damage resistance, unless it would be higher otherwise. Due to the suit's bulk and weight, wearer's also suffer a -10 penalty to Agility except when calculating movement speed (Due to the suit's increase to the wearer's size, the loss in mobility is compensated for by a longer stride). Fitted (Jane Edgely) - When Jane Edgely wears this armor, the -10 Penalty to Agility is reduced to -5. This also means that they actually count as having an Agility at +5 for calculating movement speed. Defensive Runes - When activated, Defensive Runes consume 2 Spirit/min. When struck by a magical or spirit-based attack, up to twenty points of damage will be ignored, but for every two points of damage, one additional Spirit is consumed. (For example, taking 10 or 11 points of damage would consume 5 points of Spirit.) (This includes attacks which would otherwise ignore armor.) Strength Runes - When activated, Strength Runes consume 2 Spirit/min. They give the wearer +30 Phys. for lifting, throwing, attacking, and any other tests using the arms.

Gear:Engraving EquipmentPortable Power Generator - This small, compact power generator can charge her Spirit armor if no other power source is available, charging it at a rate of 5 Spirit/hour when supplied with blood. (Therefore, it consumes 1 Oz. of blood per hour.)

Bio: Jane's father was a farmer, before the march of technology devalued his livelihood. In an effort to keep moving with the times, Jane learnt all she could about machines that now tended her lands. Her father was unable to deal with the changes though, and the farm's decline turned him into a recluse with a drinking problem. Jane eventually had to sell the farm and took on a job as an engineer, maintaining the machines that had taken over her family's work.

Slowly, Jane grew angry with the west. When she needed to deal with them for materials, she found them arrogant, saying that the change to the old balance of power and wealth was just, and that the East deserve their hardships. She didn't begrudge them their success, but she hated that they flaunted it. Perhaps a little of that wealth could be returned to those - like her father - who had worked their whole lives only to be brought low by something completely outside their control.[/spoiler]

HookRange: MeleeDamage: 3+1/20th PhysPenetration: 0Hands: 1-Handed, 20 PhysSpecial: Disable - The Hook is a weapon not intended to harm, but rather to disarm or de-horse an opponent, taking them off guard. When attacking with the hook, the wielder may instead try and snag an ankle, a sword hilt, or any other similar object. If so, the attacker and defender both take an Agility check. If the defender succeeds by more points than the attacker (Or if the attacker fails his check), then nothing happens. Otherwise, the attacker rolls a Phys. check at -1/5th the defender's Phys. If his Agility check beat the defender's by thirty or more points, or if the defender's check failed, the Strength check gets a +30. If the Strength check passes, the object being snagged is yanked away, either dropping the defender to the ground or disarming him.

Wizard's StaffRange: MeleeDamage: 3 + 1/10th PhysPen: 0Hands: 1-Handed, 20 PhysSpecial: NoneRuned: Runed in a very broad level of skills, allowing it to be used with most spells, though there is a certain level of specialization for Fire, Energy, and Death. Magic related to these three roll checks at a -10, and all other spells are at a -30. Energy: 35

Armor:None, to speak of, besides some billowy black robes.

Runed Leather GlovesRuned: These gloves, lined with silk to increase power storage, are runed to allow for specific spells, one on each hand. The left hand is runed with a 'Fireball' spell, and the right is runed with a 'Push' spell. Energy: 10

Gear:Chalk. Lots of Chalk.

Shield Bracelet:Runed: Dangling from the silver bracelet are a set of shields, each runed in various defensive magics to resist magic, fire, or kinetic attacks (among others.) Using this to create a magic shield gives a +15 to the roll. Energy: 12

Mechanical Left Thumb: Power Consumption - 1 Spirit/Hr

Journal - A small, leatherbound book, written cover-to-cover in poetry, notes, history, and other useful information. When memorized fully, (Which takes some time,) it provides additional 'Memories' equivalent to 4 points of Insanity that can be burned without reducing Sanity. (That is, 52 points of Energy.)

I'm in. I'd quite like to be some form of engineer, but I'll wait for the character creation rules before I decide on anything further.

That would actually be an incredibly useful character to have, so... Yay!A bit of character generation info is up.

Items, spells, etc:[spoiler]Basic materials:Objects made from Iron gives a +30 to resist magic, or a -20 to magical attacks. (Whichever is most appropriate.) They cannot be runed.Objects made from Steel gives a +15 to resist magic, or a -10 to magical attacks. (Whichever is most appropriate.) They cannot be runed.Objects made from Bronze give a -15 to resist magic, or a +10 to magic attacks. (Whichever is most appropriate.) However, they give a small bonus when being runed.

Spells:(Some of these are extremely variable in power consumption. Math warning!)Lift:Difficulty: +10Range: 10'+ (For every 5' increase, incrase power consumption by 50%)Energy: 1 per 10kg of massEffect: Lift any given object into the air. Failure: Minor failures halve the effects of the spell, generally reducing the height lifted. Major failures cause no effect. Critical failures instead hit the Sorcerer.

Throw:Difficulty: +10Range: 10'+ (For every 5' increase, incrase power consumption by 50%)Energy: 3 per 10kg of massEffect: Throw any given object through the air at high speeds. If the object is already lifted in the air, reduce energy consumption by 1 per 10Kg of mass.Failure: Minor failures halve the effects of the spell, generally reducing the distance thrown. Major failures cause no effect. Critical failures instead hit the Sorcerer.

Fireball:Difficulty: +0Range: XEnergy: 1 Per 3 DamageEffect: For every one point of Energy, the fireball causes 3 points of damage, -D5. (Only apply the negative once, regardless of power consumption.) Metal armor is halved against this attack. It can be thrown an unlimited distance, taking a Mind test to aim it. However, every 3 feet it is thrown, reduce its damage by 1. If this number reaches 0, the fireball flickers out. Flammable objects have a 10% chance of catching fire for every point of damage taken by this attack. (Extremely flammable objects such as lantern oil catch fire automatically.)Failure: Minor failures reduce the range of the fireball, causing it to reduce its damage by 1 every 2 feet. Major failures reduce it's damage by 1 every foot and reduce its damage by D10 rather than by D5. Critical failures cause the fireball to explode in the sorcerer's hand, hitting him instead.

Shield:Difficulty: -10Range: N/AEnergy: XEffect: For every point of Energy, the shield protects against three points of damage from EITHER magical or physical attacks. This can be made more specific (fire attacks, arrow attacks, etc,) which adds an additional -10 difficulty penalty and only protects against those attacks, but allows the shield to protect against five points of damage. Alternately, this can be made less specific and allowed to protect against all attacks, which adds an additional -10 difficulty penalty and reduces the amount of damage shielded to 2. (Attacks which don't cause damage, such as the Lift spell, instead have their Energy cost increased by 1 per point of energy in the shield, and when specifically shielded have their Energy cost increased by 2.)Failure: Minor failures reduce the amount of damage shielded by 1 point per energy. Major failures reduce the amount of damage shielded by 2 per point of energy. Critical failures cause the shield to implode. No shield is produced, and the Sorcerer is hit by 1 point of damage per 2 points of Energy he put into the shield.

Ethereal Sword/Hand/What-have-you:Difficulty: Varied, -20 to -40Range: 3' (Can be increased, costing 1 Energy for every additional 3'.)Energy: 1 to 3Effect: Creates a slightly glowing ethereal representation of a physical object. This can be a razor-sharp sword, a floating hand, or any number of other simple objects. These are controlled by the Sorcerer's Mind rather than his Agility, and can float up to 3' away from him. (This range can be increased by adding more energy.) The projection will last for around 1 minute unless Energy to the spell is sustained.Failure: Minor failures reduce the clarity of the projection. Swords become duller, hands become clumsier, and all tests taken to control the object are taken at -10. Major failures make the object extremely clumsy and unwieldy. The projection essentially becomes a vague club, and tests taken to control it are taken at a -20. Major failures cause the energy used to dissipate into the air.

Equipment: Shock Wand, Shock Lance with backpack battery, Exosuit with defensive runes on torso and strength runes on arms, various engraving and mechanics tools, portable blood-spirit converter (if such a thing is necessary or sensible), food

Bio: Jane's father was a farmer, before the march of technology devalued his livelihood. In an effort to keep moving with the times, Jane learnt all she could about machines that now tended her lands. Her father was unable to deal with the changes though, and the farm's decline turned him into a recluse with a drinking problem. Jane eventually had to sell the farm and took on a job as an engineer, maintaining the machines that had taken over her family's work.

Slowly, Jane grew angry with the west. When she needed to deal with them for materials, she found them arrogant, saying that the change to the old balance of power and wealth was just, and that the East deserve their hardships. She didn't begrudge them their success, but she hated that they flaunted it. Perhaps a little of that wealth could be returned to those - like her father - who had worked their whole lives only to be brought low by something completely outside their control.

I'm going to rate this M for Mature. It won't be Game of Thrones level dark, but we're playing as soldiers going to fight. Our goal may not explicitly require death, but we're gonna have to get our hands dirty. Consider it... We'll say Skyrim levels of violent. You can talk your way through most things, probably, but once in a while you're gonna have to kill some folks. Or maybe a lot of the time if that's your first solution.

It may get darker if players choose to be really dark, but I won't try and push it one way or another.

I've mostly finished my character sheet, although it is subject to change if there are any problems. Also, I have room for one more skill, which I'll figure out depending on what other character we have.

A small clarification (Since I haven't finished out the lore yet,) War Machines are fething huge and varied in design. The quickest example off the top of my head would be super-heavies and titans from 40k. (Not reaver-sized, more Warhound sized at the largest.) You can still keep that as a Talent, it might be really cool, I just wanted to be totally clear here that War Machines =/= Spirit Armor and other smaller machines and gear, in case there was a misunderstanding.